The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-19

The Rough Experiences OF American
Colony In Mexico.

Inc HOugn Experiences OF nm american
Colony In Mexico.
Denver Special to st. Louis Globe Democrat.
William Young who has Just returned from
the Sinaloa colony, in old Mexico, tells queer
story Of the trials and sufferings OF the $50 to
400 Americans who were lured to the land of
cactus last year by A. X. Owens and others, who
promised the subscribers to the scheme regular
Garden of Eden In the community which they
projected. Owens was an engineer OF the Den
yer s. Rio Grande railroad, who got Mexican
grant of land near the mouth of the Gulf of
California, and conceived the idea that it would
be a good thing to locate communistic town
there.
company was organized in New Jersey, and
extensive advertising done. About 100
families took stock and the result was that last
January nearly 400 persons, representing vari-
Gus States in the Union, left Denver for Pacific
City, as the spot was called on which the colo
nists to locate. They paid $50. % for each
person and contributed certain amount for
grub Their route was by rail to Guyamas, and
thence across to Piobambo bay to Pacific City.
AT the latter pace-a sandy stretch of country
strewn with rock and cactus-twenty five col
onists, who had preceded the large body. received
them with brass band and kindly greeting.
The brass band was organized by a Mr.. Stanly.
who was musician from California.
There was no town at Pacific City. and
promise of ons Ten directors were elected. and
mon were put to work. Scrip was to be issued.
but none was forthcoming; This work was paid
for with credit marks, each mark representing
ST., and three of them being given for days
work. The work consisted in removing powders
from the town site. and few men built q road
to an estuary. commlssary store, at which
coonsts could get beans, meat and coffee on
credit, was the only source OF food. Occasion
ally an antelope was killed, or a cactusfed cow
bought from the Mexicans, and then the colony
had fresh meat. One house was built, rectang-
ular structure made of stone and mud, and in
this way five families, comprising twenty per-
sons. live. All the others live in tents.
The colonists had boon IN their Eden only two
weeks when smallpox rushed in upon them.
They say the Mexicans regard smallpox as
l.~kN1 L. 49, -
whole year round. Everybody in the camp was
taken down. and the nearest approach to doc
tor in the colony was a druggist from California,
who helped the disease along by sending folks to
the hospital who there caught the infection.
Five died, and it was miracle that all did not
perish. The heat during the winter was 1l0o in
the shade. and the nearest water fit to drink
was six miles away. An attempt was made to
find water in the town, but the wells dug yielded
salt water. which, when evaporated in q pan.
half filled the vessel with salt There was no
any. unless man was willing to dig trenches
for Mexicans. who paid their laborers 81 day
and three bushels OF corn.
In addition to the hot days the nights are
made restless by persistent breed Of fieas, who
bite into the bone. The soil is sand and unfit
for growing anything but cactus There was
talk Of irrigAting. but ditch eighty five miles
long from the Furti river would have to be
built and that would cost over 81 100000.
When Dung left the colonists had nothing
but corn meal and black coffee to subsst on.
All who could got away left on April l, when
Young made his escape. tho company's sloop
carrying five families away at $40 a head, which
they were obliged to pay in cash, without regard
TO their credits for work, etc.
Owens has made several visits to the colony.
but never for more than few days. He
promised to take Marion Harland of noves and
cook book fame, to Pacific to edit paper which
he intended to call the Credit Foncier, but
neither the paper nor Marion has yet appeared
A second colony has been established at Sefrac-
clio, thirty-fve miles from Pacific, which is in
no better condition. The few horses in the
camp have been used for transporting things
between Pacific and Sefraccio, and men draw
the wagons in which powders are moved from
one end of the colony to the other The expert
ment was made by red flag wavers principally,
who put their little all into Sinaloa shares and
railroad fares, and who do not now think the
scheme rosy.
From Young's statement the whole thing Is
a fraud and failure of the most conspicuous
kind.